2. Nutrition Basics
Nutrient: a component of food that
performs a physiological function in the
body
Provide energy
Provide building blocks for growth
Regulate cellular metabolism
Involved in homeostasis
3. Basics
6 classes of nutrients:
carbohydrates
lipids
proteins
minerals
vitamins
water
Essential nutrients must be supplied by diet because the
body is not able to produce them
4. Macro vs. micronutrients
Macro: Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins
Body requires large quantities of them
Supply energy
Micro: vitamins, minerals
Body requires smaller quantities
Do not supply energy
5. Basics
All food has a mixture of nutrients in it
No single food has all essential
nutrients
‘Junk food’ - basically contains high
quantities of sugars/ fats, and
relatively little else
6. Carbohydrates
Sugars, starch, fiber
All sugars are converted to glucose for use in the
body as energy
Plants store glucose as starch:
beans, peas, cereal grains, potatoes are high in
starch
Animals store glucose as glycogen:
Animals are not a source of carbs except for
milk and honey
7. Carbohydrates
Fiber: is not digestible by humans, but it should
be a part of the diet:
prevents constipation
prevents absorption of cholesterol by the small
intestine
So, protective against heart disease
How to get it: eat whole grain, not refined
foods; fresh fruit and veggies; nuts and beans
8. Carbohydrates
Not all carbs are created equal!
Most energy should come from carbs, but only
from non-refined sources
Any sweetened food is a source of refined
carbs, as is white bread, pasta, rice, and
potatoes
Instead, choose veggies, wheat bread and
pasta, and avoid sweetened foods in general
9. Lipids
Lipids supply energy, but it is stored
long term as fat
Two unsaturated fatty oils are essential:
alpha-linolenic and linoleic acids
from some fatty fish and canola oils
10. Lipids
Unsaturated fats are healthier and come
from plant oils
Saturated fats come from animal foods:
butter, meats, cheese, whole milk
Cholesterol is a lipid and is synthesized
by the body as well as available from
some animal foods
11. Lipids
Harmful lipids include saturated fats as well as trans-fats,
which are hydrogenated oils and are used in many food items
To reduce unhealthy lipids
Eat primarily poultry/ fish/ beans for protein
Remove skin and fat from meat, drain while cooking
Don’t fry foods
Limit butter, cream, shortening, etc
Use skim milk
Limit egg yolks
12. Proteins
Proteins are digested into amino acids,
which are used to make proteins
9 are essential
Meat, eggs, milk, and other animal
foods are good protein sources
Beans, nuts, and grains also contain
protein
13. Proteins
Most Americans eat twice as much protein as
they need
Excess amino acids are not used; they are
simply excreted as urine
Too much protein can make kidney stones
more likely
So, eat foods containing high protein levels
sparingly
14. Minerals
Major minerals: over 100 mg needed per day
Trace minerals: less than 100mg needed per
day
Needed for a variety of things, including
homeostasis, regulation of biochemical
reactions, etc.
About 20 elements are needed
15. Minerals
Ca: needed for bones, nerve conduction
From dairy, green leafy veggies
K: nerve conduction, muscle contraction
Fruits and veggies
Fe: Hemoglobin
whole grains, meats
Zn: Protein synthesis, wound healing, immune
function
Meats, legumes, whole grains
16. Vitamins
Organic compounds that regulate
metabolic activities
Antioxidants: Vit. C, E, A
defend against free radicals
In fruits and veggies
There is little to no evidence that taking
supplemental vitamins is that beneficial
17. Vitamins
C: antioxidant, make collagen, maintain capillaries, bones,
teeth
Citrus, LGV, tomatoes
Thiamine (B1): part of coenzyme for cellular respiration,
nervous system
Whole grains, beans, nuts
A: Vision, immune system, cellular growth
yellow and green fruits and veggies, milk, cereal
D: development of bones and teeth
Milk, fish liver oil, made in skin when exposed to sun
18. Water
About 60% of the body is water
On average, men need about 125 oz and
women need about 90 oz of water per day
Needed for chemical reactions,
lubrication, maintenance of body temp,
etc.
19. Body Mass Index
Questionable, but useful to some degree
Very muscular people will have a higher
BMI but will not necessarily be
overweight
How to do: wt * 703.1/ wt squared
Healthy: 18.5 to 24.9
20. Calories
One kcal= amount of energy needed to
increase the temperature of 1L of water 1
degree C
You can determine your caloric needs
Metabolic functions
Physical activity
Digestion
21. Calories
Metabolic functions: Wt times 1 for M, 0.9 for F, times 24
61.3 * 0.9= 55.2*24=1325
Physical activity: Multiply by a factor determined by
physical activity: sendentary (0.2-0.4), light (0.55-.065),
moderate (.7-.75), heavy (0.8-1.2)
1325* 0.55= 728
Digestion: Multiply total needs so far by 0.1
1325+728=2053 *0.1= 205
TOTAL NEEDS: add each number to get the total
1325+728+205=2258
22. Weight and Health
It is known that being overweight contributes
to cardiovascular disease, diabetes
In order to maintain weight, you must not eat
more calories than you use
Fad diets typically do not work, the only way
to loose weight is to have a healthy lifestyle
Eat properly
Exercise
23. Type 2 Diabetes
Insulin resistance: even in the presence of
insulin, the cells to not uptake and store glucose
Most often seen in obese people
Theory: consumption of many high sugar foods
causes the pancreas to produce lots and lots of
insulin, and the cells become resistant to it
Problems: risk blindness, kidney disease,
cardiovascular disease
24. Cardiovascular Disease
HYPERtension, heart attack, stroke
Arteries blocked by plaque as we discussed last week is
often the cause
Cholesterol is part of plaque, as are saturated fats
HDL: ‘good’ takes cholesterol from cells to liver
LDL: ‘bad’ takes cholesterol from liver to cells
Saturated and trans fats raise LDL levels
Unsaturated fatty acids lower LDL: olive and canola
oil, nuts, some coldwater fish
26. Eating Well!
The goal: proper balance of nutrients
Tools are available: food guide pyramid
and nutrition info on food
Food guide pyramid, but out by USDA
emphasizes what foods need to be
eaten, and provides a guide for how
much to eat
27. 1/2 diet is grains
and veggies!
1/3 diet is milk,
meats and beans
There is no category for sweets!
28. Eating Well
Nutrition guide on food
Pay attention to serving size! They will
manipulate it to make it look good, you should not
necessarily eat an entire serving
Calories, given in kcal: per serving size
% daily value: % of that nutrient, based on 2000
calorie diet
LOOK at the guide in the store- knowing the fat
content, for example, may make you think twice
29. Summary
There is no magic bullet to eating well
It is best to make several small good choices each day,
with healthy eating as the goal
Aim for:
low saturated fat intake
a lot of whole grains
a lot of veggies
don’t overdo protein
low in salt and sugar
